Dad was born in Lamar, Colorado on April 28, 1932, the oldest of three children to Bert Franklin Massar and Mary Francis Lennox. Grandma and Grandpa Massar lived in the Carlton/Granada area and worked as farmers their whole life. Dad was an extremely hard worker and went to work on his Uncle Ralph’s farm while in high school. He continued to work with the sheep on the farm but never graduated from high school.
Daddy was the first born; then came Donald Wayne and finally Marisue who was born when Dad was 15 years old. All the while that Mom and Dad were dating, they would hang out with Mom’s girl friends and always had Marisue with them. Stories are that when they went to the café in Granada, Marisue always sat in the middle of the table entertaining the group of teenagers.
When Mom graduated and went to Business School, Dad followed her to Denver and went to work at Gates Rubber Company. Dad and Mom were married in Raton, New Mexico on June 20,1953. In 1954 they bought their first home on West Cedar in Denver for $6,000. Dad was the hardest working man I’ve ever seen. He always took on extra work to provide Mom and eventually all us kids with everything we needed and then some. Dad was extremely stubborn and bull-headed, but Mom was never one to back down. Dad always insisted that he provide the money for the family and by-golly that’s the way it was, no matter what.
There were four of us kids… Sheron Lee, Julie Ann, David Scott and Robert James. Julie and I were 18 months apart and then came David and Bobby just 2 years apart… to say the least they were busy parents.
Dad worked at Gates Rubber Company and to provide extra money went to work as a carpet installer, working with his brother Donnie. In 1961 Dad established his first carpet truck all “logoed-up” with Jerry’s Carpet Service. It was an early ‘50s GMC. He was so proud of that truck. Then in October of 1962 he opened Jerry’s Carpets in Westminster, CO. During the winter months when carpet installation was slow and money was tight, Dad would play poker…and win. According to Mom, Dad pretty much supported the family by winning at poker. Then to help support the family, Mom and Dad began to buy used homes that needed a bunch of TLC and began restoring them to resell. Together they did all the work. That began Dad’s love of woodworking. He has made tables, clocks, lamps, picture frames, and quilt and embroidery frames for Mom.
Daddy loved to water-ski. They bought a boat in 1962 and began to spend every weekend at Sloan’s Lake. Dad became an amazing slalom skier. I remember him being able to have the ski rope in his hand and with one ski on his right foot he could take off from a sandy beach, ski for the longest time jumping back and forth over the boat wake and land back on the same sandy beach, never getting wet. That was until Steve and I were married and Steve drove a boat with Dad behind bragging about how he never got wet while skiing… then suddenly the boat stopped and Dad went down. Steve still laughs about that!
Dad worked full-time at installing carpet until they retired in 1994. They sold their “restored” home in Arvada, bought a brand-new 1994 Ford Power Stroke and a brand-new fifth-wheel trailer and began touring the country. Their favorite trip was following the Mississippi River from top to bottom camping along the way. They then chose to live the “snow-bird” life and winter in Yuma, AZ and summer up on Jarrad Mountain in their fifth wheel. Dad absolutely loved Yuma and until the moment he died had every intention of getting in his car and going back to Yuma. He continued to install carpeting on patios and decks for friends in Yuma in Winter Gardens and Del Valle until he was 87 years young.
Dad continued to play poker with the other “old geezers” living in Winter Gardens… and continued to win. We have passed down to his Great Grandson his container of nickels, dimes and quarters that he used, collected and saved just for poker. He loved playing pool with Jim Easton, Bill Fry, Rusty Krall and several others living in Winter Gardens. The friendships they established while in Yuma for all those years meant the world to Dad and lasted a lifetime.
Dad and Mom were together until the end with Dad trying to take care of her even when they were both at Berthoud Care and Rehabilitation. Mom passed away peacefully exactly 6 months from the day we left Yuma and Dad could only stand to be without Mom for 5 days, exactly 6 months from the day he and Steve arrived on the Mountain after leaving Yuma and one day after their 69th Wedding Anniversary.
Dad is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Donald Wayne, sons Bobby (November 9, 1998), David (June 8, 2022), his wife of 68 years (June 16, 2022) and Great Granddaughter Reece (July 14, 2010). He is survived by Julie & Randy and Sheron & Steve, six grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Dad was a teaser to everyone. He showed his love for you that way. He had dinner with all of us on the Mountain the night before he died while celebrating Aspen’s (Squeeky) 20th birthday teasing Autumn (Lil Sis) and poking her with his fork every time she went to grab a piece of his watermelon. Daddy died peacefully with his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and sister by his side… all of us sharing memories and love of him and how he will be truly missed.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.allnuttloveland.com for the Massar family.
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